THE CARE OF THE WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 184, 30 April 1920, Page 7

THE CARE OF THE WOUNDED

. . (, . GENERAL M'GAVIN SPEAKS. At last night's annual meeting of the Wellington Centre of tho New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross and Order of St. John, Surgeon-General M'Gavin, who was asked' to speak,' paid a high tribute to the work of the Wellington Rod Cross. The work had been of extreme value and it had helped in many difficulties. General M'Gavin then began to deal with figures, telling his hearers that there were now 531 inpatients in the hospitals in the Wellington district.. In last month's report there were SM, but this number had now decreased. It was- not. probable, that in-patients would materially decrease for. a while, as it was considered desirable to keep them under observation in hospital. • This did r.ot mean that they were not getting better, simply that they could bo better treated where they were, though fit to b-s out-patients. In Trentham Military Hospital there were now 478 patients and in Pukeora Sanatorium 87. la the civil hospitals, there were 53. Trontham was the centre for this district, and patients belonging to Nelson, Marlborough, and the northern parts of tho west ■ coast naturally came to Trentham because they had to come to Wellington before they could get to any of the other hospitals. In regard to the expense of vocational treatment (a heavy item of tho balance-sheet), General M'Gavin said that this should be very much less in the future. No more workshops would be opened, and somewere closing down. With reference to the home for chronic patients, he said that in each district there wore to bo found a number of permanently disable-! men. Those included cases of spinal injury or injury to the lower extremities. Many died, others would linger on for years. It was for theso that suitable accommodation was required with pleasant surroundings. A certain, number of trained nurses and medical attendance would bo needed for them. Tliero were other cases whero tho heart was permanently affected and eonio with head injuries. They -were not fit to be left alone. Their number averaged from M to 1C in each district. Here there were about 10. The Auckland society had bought a building, beaut'fully situated, and were going to use it as a home for these chronic cases. It had been arranged with the Auckland society that they should pay for its upkeep and -staff save the trained nurses and medical attention. Rations and equipment would be provided by tho Defenco Department. Something eiiniln.- had'been done in Dunodin. The need was not so acute here," but it would exist later; nor was it so acute in Canterbury. At the present time such cases _, were at Trentham. General M'Gavin considered it desirable to keep these men in their own districts so that they could be visited by their friends and relatives. The question would 'ultimately have to be faced in Wellington, and' he considered that to lease a house would do instead of buying a property. As to .the length of tiino in which Trentham' and Pukeora would have to 1m kept going, it was difficult to say. He thought it likely' that Trentham would be needed for nine or twelve months. Pukeora. he thought, would bo wanted for about twelve months Cases for the latter place worn constantly turning up and others recurring. ._ As the military patients decreased in these hospitals civil cases would be admitted. Ho considered the care of chronic cases peculiarly suitable work for tho Red Cross.